CDG Risk Assessment & Mitigation 3 â Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the most effective workspace setup to mitigate the risk of dropping and losing a diamond during grading?
- Working over a padded, velvet-lined surface with a raised edge (Correct answer)
- Wearing latex gloves at all times during handling
- Using only rubber-tipped tweezers for all manipulations
- Grading diamonds only while seated in a low chair
Correct answer: Working over a padded, velvet-lined surface with a raised edge
A padded velvet surface cushions any falls and prevents diamonds from rolling or bouncing off the work area.
Question 2: Which security measure most effectively reduces the risk of internal theft of high-value diamonds in a grading laboratory?
- Installing security cameras only at exterior building entrances
- Requiring dual controlâtwo-person verification for high-value stones (Correct answer)
- Allowing senior staff to work alone outside business hours
- Using combination locks on storage vaults with a single known code
Correct answer: Requiring dual controlâtwo-person verification for high-value stones
Dual control ensures no single employee has unsupervised access to high-value inventory, creating mutual accountability.
Question 3: What physical risk does ultrasonic cleaning pose to certain diamonds?
- It can permanently alter color in natural diamonds
- It can extend or worsen existing fractures and feathers (Correct answer)
- It removes the culet facet through repeated vibration
- It reduces carat weight through surface abrasion
Correct answer: It can extend or worsen existing fractures and feathers
High-frequency ultrasonic vibration can propagate existing fractures, particularly cleavages and feathers, causing sudden breakage.
Question 4: When transporting diamonds between facilities, which method best mitigates transit risk?
- Using expedited regular postal mail for speed and discretion
- Carrying stones in a secure personal pocket to avoid interception
- Using bonded, insured courier services with full tracking (Correct answer)
- Combining multiple high-value stones in one package to reduce trips
Correct answer: Using bonded, insured courier services with full tracking
Bonded couriers provide insurance coverage and a documented chain of custody, offering both financial protection and accountability.
Question 5: What risk is associated with exposing a fracture-filled diamond to the intense heat of jewelry repair?
- Permanent color change from oxidation of trace elements
- Melting or vaporization of the glass filler, destroying the clarity enhancement (Correct answer)
- Measurable loss of carat weight due to thermal evaporation
- The stone becoming misidentifiable as a simulant after heating
Correct answer: Melting or vaporization of the glass filler, destroying the clarity enhancement
The glass or resin used in fracture filling has a much lower melting point than diamond, so heat from soldering or casting destroys the treatment.
Question 6: Which girdle characteristic creates the highest risk of chipping a diamond during setting or removal?
- An Excellent cut grade with ideal proportions
- A Thin to Very Thin girdle (Correct answer)
- A round brilliant with a Medium girdle thickness
- A stone accompanied by an independent grading report
Correct answer: A Thin to Very Thin girdle
Thin and Very Thin girdles have minimal material at the stone's widest point, making them highly susceptible to chipping under setting pressure.
Question 7: What is the primary security risk of using an unsecured wireless network in a diamond grading laboratory?
- Electromagnetic interference with electronic carat scales
- Unauthorized access to client records, inventory data, and financial information (Correct answer)
- Disruption of UV fluorescence lamp output readings
- Overheating of spectroscopy and photoluminescence equipment
Correct answer: Unauthorized access to client records, inventory data, and financial information
Unsecured Wi-Fi exposes the lab's client submissions, stone valuations, and financial records to interception by unauthorized parties.
CDG Risk Assessment & Mitigation 3
What is the most effective workspace setup to mitigate the risk of dropping and losing a diamond during grading?